Shocks for 2016 GMC 3500HD Denali Dually

[tlowe43q]

2016 GMC Denali 3500 Dually, crew cab, long bed, duramax with 2017 Host Mammoth. Already has airbags and Stable loads (upper and lower). Air bags keep the rear sag to a minimum. The problem is expansion joints and the wonderful dips the “engineers” have left us. The truck seems to leap, so I’m assuming this is what is known as a rebound issue. I imagine that the truck is compressing into the overloads as designed, but hopping back out.

Do I need front and rear shocks? Bilsteins? Rancho? Some post seems to indicate that the nose (front shocks) may be issue ...

How does one learn the wheel weight capacity? My inner rears are steel (i think) and the fronts and outer rears are (what looks like) polished aluminum. Stock tires are little 17 inchers.

[Cummins12V98]

tlowe43q wrote:
I see Bilsteins are in 4600 or 5100 .... 4600? Diferences?

Basically same shock. 4600 is for stock and 5100 is for stock and up to 2" lift.

[Gdetrailer]

tlowe43q wrote:
2016 GMC Denali 3500 Dually, crew cab, long bed, duramax with 2017 Host Mammoth. Already has airbags and Stable loads (upper and lower). Air bags keep the rear sag to a minimum. The problem is expansion joints and the wonderful dips the “engineers” have left us. The truck seems to leap, so I’m assuming this is what is known as a rebound issue. I imagine that the truck is compressing into the overloads as designed, but hopping back out.

Do I need front and rear shocks? Bilsteins? Rancho? Some post seems to indicate that the nose (front shocks) may be issue ...

How does one learn the wheel weight capacity? My inner rears are steel (i think) and the fronts and outer rears are (what looks like) polished aluminum. Stock tires are little 17 inchers.

Slide ins are not for you.

Sorry.

What you are experiencing is pretty normal for loads like slide ins, kind of like "porpoising" bounce. It is due to road harmonics interacting with your vehicle and your load center of gravity.

You have a slide in that weighs around 3300 lbs empty and it is placed HIGH up on a 4x4 truck platform, it is going to wiggle and jiggle and there is nothing that you can do short of welding the suspension solid to the truck frame.

Save your money, you already have tossed plenty down the drain.

[ktmrfs]

tlowe43q wrote:
I see Bilsteins are in 4600 or 5100 .... 4600? Diferences?

according to bilstein, shock warehouse and other sources.

The main difference between the Bilstein Heavy Duty vs Bilstein 5100s is that the Heavy Duty or 4600 series is designed for stock height trucks and the 5100 Series is built for lifted trucks.

[tlowe43q]

I see Bilsteins are in 4600 or 5100 .... 4600? Diferences?

[ktmrfs]

on my 04.5 duramax I went to bilsteins at about 10K miles, made a big difference in ride quality when towing. IMHO the factory shocks are set up very poorly for towing and not good for unloaded either. On my 2015.5 duramax I went with new bilsteins as soon as I could, within 500 miles.

the bilsteins improve the ride loaded or unloaded, towing or not. And on the 04.5, it now has 185K miles on it (passed down to our son) and the bilsteins are still working well.

[tlowe43q]

4WD GMC .... Truck Camper .... Host Mammoth

[Cummins12V98]

tlowe43q wrote:
Unfortunately, I do not know how much diesel was on board, nor how much water in the camper, but front axle was 4580 and rear was 9560 vs. (what I seem to find for max loads of 5600/9750). Tires are max load 3085 single/ 2835 dual so I believe I should be running 59+ (59.4) front and 67+ (67.4) rear. Front tread wear seems to indicate underinflation (OR a GMC steering wear characteristic???).

I have been experimenting with the Air bags - leveling (returning to empty height, actually) seems to take 60-80.

65psi rear covers 9,750#m RAWR. I would run 65-70 front as you most likely are getting wear on the edges.

Your front axle seems light is your truck 2wd?

Confirming, "TRUCK" Camper right?

[tlowe43q]

Unfortunately, I do not know how much diesel was on board, nor how much water in the camper, but front axle was 4580 and rear was 9560 vs. (what I seem to find for max loads of 5600/9750). Tires are max load 3085 single/ 2835 dual so I believe I should be running 59+ (59.4) front and 67+ (67.4) rear. Front tread wear seems to indicate underinflation (OR a GMC steering wear characteristic???).

I have been experimenting with the Air bags - leveling (returning to empty height, actually) seems to take 60-80.

[Cummins12V98]

Sounds like you went WAY overboard with the stableloads. What air pressure are you running front and rear. What is your front and rear axle loaded weights.

ONLY add enough air to the bags to keep truck "LEVEL", NOT like it sets without a load with AZZ high. You WANT it to ride on overloads.

Bilstein 4600's WILL help.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Yes
Bills
Get all 4.


You also might have trouble with beaming. My LB CC does on some roads.

[ScottG]

Bilsteien shocks have the best rebound dampening I have found. They settle a trailer that want's to pull upward on the truck or porpoise.

[donn0128]

Shocks do nothing for ride height or loading. Their sole function is rebound. So do you need new shocks? Under thst load it sure would be a good idea. Unless someone has changed them you have 6 steel wheels. Your weakest link is tires. There is nothing you can do to alter or increase load carrying capacity. The weight sticker on the truck is a federaly mandated sticker that cannot be altered.
Shock brand? Bilsteins seem to be one of the best. What ever brand you pick dont get the cheapest model.